What’s better than having a cooling system that cools efficiently, has lower upfront and installation costs, and brings up to 75% energy savings?
It is the knowledge of using it properly.
While evaporation cooling is the G.O.A.T of air conditioning systems, offering performance efficiency and cost savings, many people are unable to get these advantages. Not because they don’t have the evaporative cooler, but because they don’t know how to use evaporative cooling the right way.
To understand how to use evaporative cooling correctly, we must understand what evaporative cooling is and how it works before we share details about how to use evaporative cooling the right way and what to avoid to get maximum advantages of this efficient cooling system.
What Is Evaporative Cooling?
Evaporative cooling is the way of cooling by nature. Water uses heat from the air to turn into vapour, making the air cooler. The evaporative air conditioner consists of a water reservoir and distribution system, cooling pads, an air moving system and a control and safety system that work together to make a highly efficient cooling system.
The evaporative cooling system uses very little electricity for running fans and a small pump that delivers fresh cool air and offers excellent ventilation. The evaporative cooling system works by absorbing heat from the air to turn water into vapour, cooling down the air and pushing the cool air to the surroundings. The system drops the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees, not to a set temperature.
Evaporative cooling systems have different types, such as a ducted roof-mounted cooling system, a window/wall-mounted cooling system and a portable system.
How To Operate An Evaporative Cooling System?
The “Golden Tip” for operating an evaporative cooling system in residential or commercial property is to understand that an evaporative cooler isn’t the refrigerative air conditioning system, it works differently and it has different requirements.
Follow Expert Recommended “Perfect” Routine
The Early Morning (Pre-cooling) Phase:
On hot days, run on FAN ONLY mode with windows open 1-2 hours after sunrise. Flushes hot overnight air with cool morning air.
Daytime Operation:
When the outdoor temp reaches ~27°C or goes higher, activate the water pump. Use high fan speed during peak heat.
Window Strategy:
Open the windows and doors up to 5-15cm depending on dryness and humidity levels indoors.
- Very dry (<30% humidity): Open wider (10-15cm)
- Moderate (30-50%): Open moderately (5-10cm)
Create cross-ventilation by opening on the opposite side from the cooler.
Evening/Night Time Phase:
When outdoor temp drops below indoor temp, switch off cooler, open windows fully for night flushing.
Smartly Use The Advanced Operation Modes:
Use the “Fan Only” Mode when:
- Outdoor humidity is greater than 60%
- Outdoor temp is less than 27°C but you want air movement
- During or after rain
- This mode is best for morning pre-cooling
To get a partial zone cooling, close doors to unused rooms, adjust vents/registers to direct airflow where needed.
Use the two-stage cooling mode in very dry heat (>40°C). Pre-cool the area with refrigerated AC for 1 hour, then switch to evaporative for maintenance cooling.
Temperature And Humidity Management:
Install a hygrometer-thermometer to keep a watch on temperature and humidity levels. The target must be to maintain humidity levels below 60%. If this level rises you can increase the speed of the fan and close windows to control outdoor air influx. Installing a smart controller automates the temperature and humidity management.
Water Management:
To prevent the buildup, run the bleed valve daily for 10 – 15 minutes during the hottest part of the day. This step also helps in increasing the efficiency of the system. Moreover, keep the pads evenly wet, not dripping, to adjust the flow rate. Also, use the soft water to reduce scaling.
Home Preparation:
Before using the evaporative cooling, you must prepare your home to get maximum benefits from the cooling system. These preparations include insulating the indoors, adding thermal mass to stabilize temperature, and using external shades to reduce the heat load.
Replace The Water Pads Annually:
The functional efficiency of the evaporative cooling system depends on the water pads. To keep the system functional, change the water pads annually. Efficiency of the system drops by 30-40% with aged pads.
Apply Climate-Specific Strategies:
You must understand the climate of your area to get maximum efficiency from the evaporative cooler. In Melbourne’s 4 seasons in a day climatic region, a day-to-day approach is better where the humidity level changes drastically. In typical Melbourne summers, typically from October to March, when humidity is below or around 60% and more or less during heat waves, using an evaporative cooler is beneficial. Evaporative coolers work exceptionally well in Northern suburbs/ Inlands due to a hotter and drier climate than the coastal regions.
Advanced Tips By Surrey Air Experts
- Zoned Cooling: Install motorized dampers to cool required rooms only and minimize wastage of conditioned air.
- Pre-Cooling Tower: Add a secondary evaporative unit to pre-cool incoming air for ultra-hot days. It increases the evaporative cooler’s efficiency manifold.
- Solar Integration: Pair with PV panels to run fan and motor for near-zero cost cooling.
- Earth Tube Combination: Pre-cool intake air through buried pipes for enhanced efficiency.
- Night Purge Automation: Use smart controller to automatically flush home with night air
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Using Evaporative Cooling
Now that you know how to use evaporative cooling, here are a few things that you must totally avoid when using it. Avoiding these seemingly negotiable habits will change your perspective on how to operate the evaporative cooling.
Closing All Windows:
Evaporative cooling is not refrigerative cooling, it requires fresh air and doesn’t recirculate the indoor air. In this scenario, if you close all the windows it blocks the air input and creates a sauna effect indoors. The indoor environment becomes hot and moist and as a result there is no cooling.
Running Pump When Humidity Level Is Above 60%:
As evaporative cooling uses water vapour, it is known to increase humidity levels. When the humidity level is already above 60%, running a pump will further increase the humidity indoors and cause discomfort. Experts recommend using “fan only” to get cooling without increasing indoor humidity levels.
Using Evaporative Cooler In Coastal/ Humid Climates:
Coastal areas usually have higher humidity levels. Using an evaporative cooler in areas with higher humidity further increases indoor humidity, and the cooling system doesn’t work efficiently. You may feel hotter due to increased humidity. Furthermore, using evaporative cooling in such areas increases chances of mold growth, develops musty smells, aggravates or worsen allergies.
Expecting 24 Degrees On A 46 Degree Heatwave Day:
Saying it again, evaporative cooling is not refrigerative cooling that lowers indoor temperature to the desired limit. Evaporative cooling lowers the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees, but you can’t expect it to drop the temperature to your desired limit.
Ignoring The Bleed Valves:
Bleed valves are the most important component in an evaporation cooler as they remove minerals left behind in the water after evaporation. Mineral deposits in the system cause system corrosion and equipment damage. Open the bleed valves for 5 to 10 minutes during the hottest part of the day, 2 to 3 times a week for manual systems and 1 minute bleed per 15 minutes of use for automatic systems.
Letting The Pads Dry Out:
When pads dry out, it causes many problems for evaporative coolers, like increased energy consumption and early pad replacement. The effects of letting the pads dry out include zero cooling effect, hot and uneven airflow, degrade the pad material, give off a swamp cooler smell, and make a perfect environment for mould and bacterial growth.
Final Verdict:
Knowing how to use evaporative cooling the right way is important to get the benefits from an evaporative cooler. Using it is a bit technical. If you learn how to operate evaporative cooling and avoid the common mistakes, you can get cooling efficiency while saving a big amount on energy costs.
